Custom Map #4588: Can You Endure This Harsh Training?. By: stdout

AutoPost · July 10, 2017, 03:09:57 PM

This topic is for discussion of map #4588: Can You Endure This Harsh Training?

Author: stdout
Size: 128x135

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Loren Pechtel · July 10, 2017, 04:40:08 PM

No ideas on surviving the second wave of spores. I can't recharge the beams in time.

D0m0nik · July 10, 2017, 04:55:00 PM

Spoiler

It is possible to take out every single nest very quickly, lots of PZs for beams and reactors. Or juggle beams over the PZs, so have two in the air and one on the PZ as the spores fire and switch them quickly as they run out of juice.

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I loved this one, very tough start regardless of strategy and the emitter in the top left was tough to take.

Spoiler

The two 'clean' islands on the right can be used to great effect

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stdout · July 10, 2017, 05:16:07 PM

Dominik I was thinking about you and your play style the entire time I was making this map. I knew you'd have no trouble finding the best paths. ;D

Loren Pechtel · July 10, 2017, 09:16:20 PM

Quote from: D0m0nik on July 10, 2017, 04:55:00 PM
Spoiler
It is possible to take out every single nest very quickly, lots of PZs for beams and reactors. Or juggle beams over the PZs, so have two in the air and one on the PZ as the spores fire and switch them quickly as they run out of juice.
[close]

I loved this one, very tough start regardless of strategy and the emitter in the top left was tough to take.

Spoiler
The two 'clean' islands on the right can be used to great effect
[close]

I have managed to kill all the nests but I can't keep the flood of creeper at bay.

I do think those islands have use but that takes time. I've managed to pop two emitters but that doesn't do any good. I've always died before I could get a spore from the other one, let alone use them to do greater damage.

stdout · July 10, 2017, 09:25:37 PM

Spoiler

You can use the islands to nullify all of the high power spore towers, leaving only the easy and weak spore towers left. You have time to defeat the big spore towers before they fire a second volley.

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D0m0nik · July 11, 2017, 03:00:44 AM

Quote from: stdout on July 10, 2017, 05:16:07 PM
Dominik I was thinking about you and your play style the entire time I was making this map. I knew you'd have no trouble finding the best paths. ;D

I'm honoured, thanks for the map! I think there is a lot of scope to reduce the time, I kept too many beams on PZs for way too long, should have switched them to Berthas.

stdout · July 11, 2017, 08:47:18 AM

Yes, this map rewards lots of juggling.

I just replayed and got a bit better time. ;D

D0m0nik · July 11, 2017, 12:51:49 PM

A bit?? I am clearly missing a trick or 5! Nice time, RrR smashed it as well.

stdout · July 11, 2017, 01:30:47 PM

Well, I love this map and consider it to be one of my own favorites, but I'm disappointed that I appear to have frustrated a great number of players. I prefer to design maps for the masses and I want my maps to be accessible and not punishing. It seems I failed with this one, and I'm surprised because I don't feel like it's a terribly hard map. With 72 downloads and only 6 scores posted, I think this map must be harder than some of tamrin's extremely difficult maps.

I think what I got wrong in this map is the crippling waves of spores. The player has no option to turtle. He must deal with the runner nests right away or he will lose within the first few minutes. I'll have to be more careful in the future, to give players the chance to turtle their way to victory if that's the path they want to take.

D0m0nik · July 11, 2017, 02:51:37 PM

I thought this was your response to the 'Pro map' genre! The biggest challenge for me was the limited space in which to build so turtling is not really an option. The creep is also onto your base straight away, taking the top left is also a challenge if you do not get the aether packet before the emitter goes off. Expanding is tricky without PZ berthas. So yeah a lot to think about but I thought it was a great 'Pro' map! Defo not one for the masses though. :D

stdout · July 11, 2017, 03:56:29 PM

Well the map was a success since you and a few others enjoyed it. :) BTW that emitter in the top left should never have a chance to spill any creeper at all. If it spills, restart.

GoodMorning · July 13, 2017, 06:30:37 AM

Good fun. Sufficient PZs to resist the storm indefinitely if necessary. Taking some Nests out quickly (a fairly clear path) should give a turtling option.

Spoiler

I must be missing (another) something with speed. I can Nullify from the two clear islands, but can't clear the Creeper from the top PZ in time to dodge the second volley. After that, I just used a Bertha battery and pounded my way over the map - good fun, but slow.

I had read some of the spoilers here beforehand, I admit.

Is that a signature Core?

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yum-forum · July 13, 2017, 04:09:13 PM

First play. Very nice hard map! For me was difficult to defence left/up emitter. 9/10. Thanks! :)

Second play. Enjoyed once more! As in hint of stdout really up/left emitter was possible to kill! 10/10! :)

Played third time with hint of BilboGCL (BTW THANKS! :) ) and get time score better than DOmOnik! ;)

GRAND PRO map! Not too hard game but tricky!

BilboGCL · July 13, 2017, 04:19:10 PM

Really nice map - it took me ages to destroy the upper left nullifier and my mind was somehow blocked before I was able to use the

Spoiler

upper small island to nullify the last high power spore tower. I've sent a CN for the lower island and somehow I didn't think about landing the guppies in the creep...

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. Once the left part was done, the rest was pure fun.

I really like the 8-bit optics, was this meant to be Commander Keen (my very first thought when I've seen the map) or Amor (my daughter's guess).

Greetings from The Shire